Priest in Burkina Faso: Catechists are the majority among martyrs of terrorism

Catechists have been the most affected by the terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, according to priest Edgard Ouedraogo, director of the training center for catechists of the Diocese of Kaya, who told the pontifical foundation Help the Church in Need (ACN) that “there have been more martyrs among them than priests.”

“Catechists are the heroes of the Church in Burkina Faso,” Father Ouedrogo affirms without hesitation. Furthermore, it confirms that they are the ones who become pillars of the community of believers in the villages and in the camps for displaced people, in the face of the shortage of priests and despite the risks that this entails for their own lives.

The priest explained that the apostolate of catechesis in Burkina Faso means “giving oneself completely, guided by an unwavering faith and tireless service to one’s Christian community.”

The terrorist attacks in the African country began in 2015. The State Department The United States ranked Burkina Faso, in 2021, as the fourth country in the world most affected by terrorism, behind Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. The attacks are carried out by Islamist groups such as JNIM, ISIS-GS and Ansaroul Islam.

“They are the relief of the parish priest both in the villages and in the camps for displaced people,” remarks Father Ouedraogo.

“It is the catechists who preside over the Sunday celebrations in their absence, those who teach the catechism, those who encourage the population to pray the rosary and even the Liturgy of the Hours, they are also those who are present at the bedside. of the sick. In our country we cannot do without catechists,” he adds.

The training of those who aspire to be catechists is demanding: four years of training in which even the family of the future catechist lives in community with the families of other candidates. ACN specifies that this life together is similar to that of a major seminary, with daily Masses and prayers according to the Liturgy of the Hours.

On some occasions, the wives of future catechists follow the same training as their husbands, to later help them animate the communities of faithful. By dedicating their lives to this service, catechists and their families find it difficult to work to support themselves.

“This gift, in itself, is also manifested in the fact that catechists, since they are not paid, must trust completely in divine providence,” explains the priest. Despite this, almost miraculously, “they are often the ones who support the community, especially in difficult times,” he adds.

Father Ouedraogo highlights that a person must be “deeply convinced” to embrace the service of catechesis, in the midst of such a violent reality that presents so many dangers. “They are people willing to offer their lives, until the end, for Christ,” he concluded.